SAVOUR 2013 (Plus 3 Pairs of SAVOUR Premium Passes to be won!)

The SAVOUR concept is a first of its kind in Singapore, with a philosophy to unite the finest food and drink with a plethora of expert master classes, live demonstrations, fun workshops and culinary shopping, in an event that is accessible to all.

After SAVOUR’s inaugural year in 2012, SAVOUR 2013, Singapore’s largest gourmet food festival, will showcase over 30 world-renowned chefs and top local talent, more than 60 award-winning dishes, a two-storey Gourmet Market and an amazing array of 300 complimentary master classes, workshops and demonstrations – all in one accessibly-priced ticket. And NESPRESSO as Presenting Partner and Official Coffee, there will be interesting coffee making masterclasses for you to attend!

Young chef Julien Royer is one of the local chef who will be present at SAVOUR 2013. A native of Cantal in Auvergne, France, Julien’s pedigree comes from his training under the best names and restaurants in the business – Michel Bras, Bernard Andrieux, Jean Georges Vongerichten and Antonin Bonnet.

He is inspired by the Artisanal Cuisine Movement, built around a passion to showcase the freshest ingredients through simple but beautiful dishes that reflect both culinary traditions and his own creativity.

Miss Tam Chiak: When did you first realize that you wanted to become a chef?

Chef Julien: I can’t say that I knew I wanted to be a chef from the time I was born but I always knew that I wanted to do something with food. Being farmers, most of what we ate was home grown and raised on our farm. It really made me appreciate the taste of carefully grown vegetables and humanely raised animals and developed my own culinary philosophy from a very young age.

Miss Tam Chiak: What are your fondest food memories from childhood?

Chef Julien: I loved watching my mother and grandmother cook what they directly gathered from our farm. They showed me how they could use these ingredients in delicious dishes through their simple home cooking. It was this education through food which has stayed with me throughout my life and has defined the way I cook and handle ingredients today.

Miss Tam Chiak: What is your favourite local dish?

Chef Julien: Chicken rice is my favourite local dish. The flavourful and fragrant rice is delicious with the delicately cooked chicken.

Miss Tam Chiak: Who is your role model?

Chef Julien: Chef Bernard Andrieux. He had a profound influence on me, reinforcing the beliefs of my upbringing and the importance of the purity of ingredients in every dish. Michel Bras also had incredible vision. His restaurant was, in my opinion, 10 years ahead of any other restaurant in the world.

Miss Tam Chiak: What misconceptions do people have about French cooking and how would you like to change that?

Chef Julien: I think the biggest misconception is that French Cuisine is heavy and rich. French cuisine is constantly evolving and has become lighter through the years. At JAAN, I try to temper the richness of the dishes without compromising on their flavour. My sauces are intensely flavoured but are lighter and not heavy on the palate.

Miss Tam Chiak: If you could cook a meal for anyone, who would it be and what would you cook?

Chef Julien: I would love to prepare a meal for my late grandmother. She was a great influence in my life and I hope to impress her with a tasting menu of my signatures.

Miss Tam Chiak: Share with us your rationale for creating the 3 dishes for Savour. What thought process goes into serving these 3 combinations?

Chef Julien: We wanted to provide a small taste of a dining experience at JAAN so we will be offering some signature dishes from our menu in the form of our 55’ Smoked Organic Egg and Choconuts 4th. These are dishes which we know our guests love and return to the restaurant for. I also wanted to provide a more delicate dish so I created the Langoustine Tartare which is wrapped in a pickled kohlrabi. It is a subtle and refreshing dish that is perfect for the tropical heat. My consideration has always been to make the ingredients the star of every dish so cooking is used as a vehicle to extract the best possible flavours from the produce that I source. I hope that this comes through in our offerings at Savour and that the beauty of the ingredients will speak for themselves through our dishes.

Miss Tam Chiak: Your last meal?

Chef Julien: My mum’s truffade which is a traditional dish from Cantal made from sliced roasted potatoes and Tomme de Cantal. And of course, my grandmother’s apple tart.

At SAVOUR 2013, Chef Julien will be presenting 3 dishes. One of them is Wild Caught Langoustine & Avocado Canneloni served with light crustacean jelly, ikura and Oscietra Caviar. The horseradish gives a good crunch.

Price: 14 Savour Dollars

And there is Chef Julien’s signature 55′ Smoked Organic Egg. The organic egg was cooked gently for 55 minutes to maintain its creamy translucence, and it was accompanied with the salty crunch of smoked rattes, winter mushrooms and chorizo iberico. My third time having this and this never fails me. Still very silky and runny.

Price: 10 Savour Dollars

The dessert was Choconuts 4th, with tanariva, gianduja and carambar. Chocolate lovers will enjoy the mix of white, milk and dark chocolate.

Price: 10 Savour Dollars

If you are having your meal in Jaan, you probably have to pay a higher price for a set meal to enjoy all these. But at SAVOUR 2013, you can have all the highlights created by Chef Julien at a very affordable price. Other local chefs attending SAVOUR 2013 includes Chef Kyung Soo Moon from Mikuni, Chef Lino Sauro from Gattopardo, Chef Sam Leong from Forest.

You will be able to try over 60 signature dishes from ome of the world’s best chefs, all priced between $6 to $18 SAVOUR dollars. Savour Dollars are the official currency at SAVOUR 2013 and can be used to purchase food and drink consumed on the premise. All workshops, master classes and product tastings are complimentary.

Tickets can be purchased via SISTIC online bookings, SISTIC counters and phone bookings. For more information, please visit www.savour.sg for more information.

A million thanks to Nespresso and Savour, I am giving away 3 pairs of SAVOUR Premium Dinner Passes to three lucky winners!

The normal SAVOUR pass only gives you access to Gourmet Market ONLY and attend complimentary workshops and demonstrations at all Event Arenas within the Gourmet Market ONLY. However, the SAVOUR Premium Pass (Usual price: $65 each) gives you access to BOTH Gourmet Village and Gourmet Market, Celebrity Chef Master Classes at Gourmet Auditorium and complimentary workshops and demonstrations at ALL Event Arenas.

Each SAVOUR premium pass for this giveaway comes with $30 worth of SAVOUR dollars. There are over 60 signature dishes borne from the creative minds of some of the world’s best chefs, all priced between $6 to $18. So you can use the SAVOUR dollars to try the dishes! Note that all the passes are ONLY for 11 April 2013 (Thursday) dinner.

So come join this exclusive giveaway now! All you need to do is:

Step 1: LIKE Miss Tam Chiak Facebook Page Step 2: SHARE this blogpost on Facebook OR retweet the post Step 3: Leave a comment below and name a chef that will be present at SAVOUR 2013!

Deadline: 8 April 2013 (Monday), 23:59

Congratulations to all the winners!

Maureen

Born into a family of enthusiastic foodies, Maureen has always loved all things culinary, especially the local cuisine here in Singapore. With a life-long fascination with the rapidly evolving food scene in Singapore, she started this website in 2007 to explore and celebrate all types of local Singapore dishes and to share her love of travel and food with the world. With 4 years of experience as a journalist and producer, she has a wealth of experience in food writing, photography and styling.

my girlfriend loves awesome food and I will want to bring her there! please pick me for the sake of love! Chef Julien Royer’s 55′ Smoked Organic Egg will be great and I can’t wait to put my hands on it!